British Columbia (BC) is Canada’s westernmost province, bordered by the Pacific Ocean. Bounded by the Yukon and Northwest Territories on the north, the panhandle of Alaska forms about half of the western boundary. On the east, B.C. is bordered by Alberta, and to the south the US states of Washington, Idaho and Montana.

Where the Pacific Ocean reaches the continent, it meets a chain of islands running from north to south known as the Inside Passage. This passage extends from the Juan de Fuca Strait at the southern end of Vancouver Island, north to Prince Rupert and up to Alaska. The rugged coastline includes deep, mountainous fjords and about 6,000 islands, many of them uninhabited.

Much of the western part of Vancouver Island and the rest of the coast is covered by temperate rain forest. This region is one of a mere handful of such temperate rain forest ecosystems in the world.

The BC Interior changes dramatically from north to south. In the extreme northeast a small corner is an extension of the Great Plains. The Cariboo plateau is a series of high plateaus and rolling ranchland, while the southern Okanagan interior is made up of fertile valleys that produce fruits and vegetables. The far south of the province is a small section of arid desert.

Sixty percent of the province is forested, about 5% is arable, and 75% is mountainous. From the Pacific Coast to the arid interior to the high mountain ranges, bird watching in British Columbia offers a myriad of opportunities.